why do we say cheese when taking pictures

Looking great in photos is an art form in itself. The angle, the lighting, the tilt of your headÁall of it can determine that picture-perfect moment. And whether youÁre eight years old or 80, you can always count on one classic command before the camera clicks: ÁSay cheese! Á Odds are, you will respond with a cheeky smile and the word, ÁCheese! Á But taking a photoÁor smiling in one, for that matterÁhas nothing to do with this tasty dairy product. á So, why do we use this phrase in the first place? According toá , the idea of cheesing in photos first appeared around the 1940s. The Big Spring Herald, a local Texas newspaper, printed an article that referenced the phrase in 1943. While no one knows for certain who came up with it or why, most believe the word itself obliges you to smile. The ÁchÁ sound causes you to clench your teeth, and the long ÁeeÁ sound parts your lips, making a facial expression that resembles a grin.

Granted, we havenÁt always bared our pearly whites for the camera. Back in the 19th century, only children, peasants, and drunks smiled in photographs; everyone else kept their faces neutral, which was considered attractive and dignified at the time. ThatÁs not the only reason people didnÁt smile for photos, though. For one, it took several hours (or days! ) for cameras to capture the photograph in the first place. As you can imagine, itÁs tough to stay still for that long, let alone hold a grin. á WhatÁs more, dental hygiene was not a priority back in the day, and most people didnÁt want to show off a mouth full of missing or broken teeth. Photographs were also expensive, meaning the average person only sat for one or two photos in their lifetime. Because this was such an important occasion, each person was on his or her best behaviorÁhence the somber expressions. No matter the original reason for these serious-looking photos, the trend didn t last for long.

The invention of KodakÁs $1 camera in the 1900s, along with the rise of the Hollywood movie industry, allowed more and more everyday moments to be captured on film. Thus, smiling in photographs became the norm. These days, all we have to worry about is the filter weÁll use on our next iPhone selfie. á But ironically enough, experts say there s one secret to looking more photogenic on screen: Don t say cheese. Here areá. [Sources:, ] More:, Looking great in photos is an art form in itself. The angle, the lighting, the tilt of your headÁall of it can determine that picture-perfect moment. And whether youÁre eight years old or 80, you can always count on one classic command before the camera clicks: ÁSay cheese! Á Odds are, you will respond with a cheeky smile and the word, ÁCheese! Á But taking a photoÁor smiling in one, for that matterÁhas nothing to do with this tasty dairy product. á So, why do we use this phrase in the first place?

According toá , the idea of cheesing in photos first appeared around the 1940s. The Big Spring Herald, a local Texas newspaper, printed an article that referenced the phrase in 1943. While no one knows for certain who came up with it or why, most believe the word itself obliges you to smile. The ÁchÁ sound causes you to clench your teeth, and the long ÁeeÁ sound parts your lips, making a facial expression that resembles a grin. Granted, we havenÁt always bared our pearly whites for the camera. Back in the 19th century, only children, peasants, and drunks smiled in photographs; everyone else kept their faces neutral, which was considered attractive and dignified at the time. ThatÁs not the only reason people didnÁt smile for photos, though. For one, it took several hours (or days! ) for cameras to capture the photograph in the first place. As you can imagine, itÁs tough to stay still for that long, let alone hold a grin. á WhatÁs more, dental hygiene was not a priority back in the day, and most people didnÁt want to show off a mouth full of missing or broken teeth.

Photographs were also expensive, meaning the average person only sat for one or two photos in their lifetime. Because this was such an important occasion, each person was on his or her best behaviorÁhence the somber expressions. No matter the original reason for these serious-looking photos, the trend didn t last for long. The invention of KodakÁs $1 camera in the 1900s, along with the rise of the Hollywood movie industry, allowed more and more everyday moments to be captured on film. Thus, smiling in photographs became the norm. These days, all we have to worry about is the filter weÁll use on our next iPhone selfie. á But ironically enough, experts say there s one secret to looking more photogenic on screen: Don t say cheese. Here areá. [Sources:, ] More:,